CASE-STUDYTHE NEW COKE Battered by competition from the sweeter Pepsi-Cola, Coca-Cola decided in 1985 to replace its old formula with a sweeter variation, dubbed the New Coke. Coca-Cola spent $4 million on market research. Blind taste tests showed that Coke drinkers preferred the new, sweet formula, but the launch of New Coke provoked a national uproar. Market researchers had measured the taste but had failed to measure the emotional attachment consumers had to Coca-Cola. There were angry letters, formal protests and even lawsuit threats, to force the retention of The Real Thing. Ten weeks later, the company withdrew New Coke and reintroduced its century-old formula as Classical Coke, giving the old formula even stronger status in the marketplace. Questions: 1. Managers try to stimulate sales by modifying the four-Ps --- Analyze. 2. Customers are not always willing to accept an improved product --- Comment.HISTORY1985 - The Coca-Cola Company made what has been known as one of the biggest marketing blunder. They stumbled onto a new formula in efforts to produce diet Coke. They put forth 4 million dollars of research to come up with the new formula.The decision to change their formula and pull the old Coke off the market came about because taste tests showed a distinct preference for the new formula. The new formula was a sweeter variation with less tang, it was also slightly smoother. Robert Woodruff's